Having previously relied upon a Galaxy Nexus, Ziegler outlines a list of his indispensable Android apps — many of which are interchangeable with iOS — and has given Windows Phone a running scorecard for comparable apps. Ziegler writes:

Important apps of mine with official Windows Phone equivalents: 18/51 (35.3%)

Of those that don’t have official Windows Phone versions, a decent third-party equivalent is available: 13/33 (39.4%)

Total coverage between official and third-party apps: 31/51 (60.8%)

Although Ziegler’s numbers are inherently subjective, it’s interesting to see some finite comparisons between fully-developed platforms and Windows Phone. I would imagine an iOS versus Windows Phone comparison may be slightly less favorable but, at the end of the day, it is clear that Windows Phone is by no means dead.

Stereotypes of developmental stagnation and stunted growth tend to overlook evident trends toward the growth of the platform — no matter how incremental gains may be. Windows Phone is a compelling and attractive mobile operating system, and I can only hope such progress, regardless of pace, continues unabated.